Seniors’ group calls on province to move home care under health department

LAURA BOOTH TIMES & TRANSCRIPT

Dr. Pam Mansfield, clinical director of palliative care for the Moncton area of
the Horizon Health Network, speaks at a meeting of the Coalition for Seniors
and Nursing Home Residents’ Rights in Moncton on Friday.PHOTO: laura
Booth/Times & Transcript New Brunswick seniors’ advocacy group is calling
on the province to move the responsibility for home care to the health department
to reduce costs, red tape and improve care to patients.

The province’s social development department now handles the administration,
delivery and funding for home care – the only province in Canada where home
care is not under the health department’s jurisdiction.

The initiative was launched Friday in Moncton by the Coalition for Seniors and
Nursing Home Residents’ Rights.Dr. Pam Mansfield, clinical director of
palliative care for the Moncton area of the Horizon Health Network, was at the
Blue Paper launch to support the move.“[Social Development] looks at social
inequities, they don’t look at how the health of the person is actually doing,”
she said. “And the departments don’t speak to each other - and it’s crazy.”

Mansfield said red tape would be reduced if the health department was in
control.Right now, she said, if a hospital patient is unable to return home
because of medical needs, a doctor is required to document why the patient is
required to go to a nursing home or a special-care facility. Social Development
then assesses the patient and presents the case to panel that decides whether
the person should be put on a waiting list for a nursing home.“So, imagine the
length of time that takes for all that to happen,”said Mansfield. “You have all
this bureaucracy that happens before you can get on the list.”Reducing that
waiting time saves money, she said, as a hospital stay is more expensive than
providing care at a nursing home or at a patient’s home.

As of mid-September, 641 people in the province are on a nursing home waiting
list, with 395 of them waiting in the hospital, according to the Blue Paper
Initiative report.“If you go to the hospital on the fifth floor in Moncton you
will see people all dressed up in street clothes, the whole bit - they have
nowhere to go because we have no home care at home,” said Cecile Cassista,
executive director of the coalition.She said the system now doesn’t always
offer seniors quality care.“

There is a home care, [but] it’s hit or miss,” said Cassista.“[Workers] have no
benefits, some get paid mileage, they don’t work 40 hours a week. ...There’s a
high turnover.”And a lack of home care workers means more patients are waiting
in hospital until they can be admitted to a nursing home or special-care
facility.Mansfield said she also would like to see improvements in how nursing
homes are funded.“Social Development funds nursing homes based on how many
patients they have, they don’t fund it based on how difficult the needs are of
the patient,” said Mansfield.

“So, if you have a patient with ALS (a neurodegenerative disease) who needs
one-on-one [care] ... the nursing home is not going to take that person because
they don’t have the staff to do that. So that person is on the list, but
everyone knows that person will never be accepted into a nursing home because
their care needs are to great ... they’re going to stay in hospital.”

Mansfield said that, under the health department, funding would be allocated on
health needs rather than on the number of beds occupied in a facility.Both the
departments of health and social development confirmed on Friday they had
received a copy of the Blue Paper initiative, said communications officer, Leah
Fitzgerald, with Department of Social Development.

“The government of New Brunswick is taking the time to review the
recommendations before responding,” she said.The Coalition for Seniors and
Nursing Home Residents’ Rights was created in 2004. It is a non-partisan
organization comprised of more than 60 groups, and a 18-member board aiming to
enhance the quality of life for seniors.

Vision

Mission

Mandate/ Membership

The Coalition for Seniors and Nursing Home Residents' Rights is comprised of groups and individuals who come together to endorse and promote shared principles.

It is a non-partisan, non-sectarian umbrella organization whose purpose is to lobby in order to achieve and maintain affordable and accessible programs that enhance the quality of life for seniors and their families.

Established in February of 2004, the Coalition is a broadly-based, in-incorporated organization of groups and individuals.

It has over 50 member groups that include seniors, retirees, labor, women's groups, church groups, legions, researchers and organizations committed to social justice. In turn, these represent over 100,000 members.

Any group supporting the Coalition's mission is welcome to join. Our activities are led by an 18 member Board to which member organizations appoint or elect representatives. It strives for cooperative decision-making and consensus.

All member organizations receive regular mailings and invitations to attend meetings and participate in group activities.

The Coalition has no on going funding or staff, although it gratefully acknowledges the generous support of its member group.

It relies on volunteer labor, fund-raising and contributions from members and supporters.